Bank of Punjab (BOP) will become the first bank in the country to issue Mastercard’s BusinessCards for SMEs, providing a wide array of solutions to cater to a market of over five million small and medium-sized companies. At the same time, BOP has announced its first Foreign Currency Business Debit Card, which enables over two and a half million freelancers across the country to digitise their payments, thus driving financial inclusion.
More details about the partnership
The extended partnership between BOP and Mastercard will introduce the Mastercard Corporate Card, aimed at providing larger businesses with a customised, flexible, and secure digital payment method that can be used to cover employee’s travelling expenses, procurement, or entertainment. The card also allows managers and C-level leaders to monitorise spending with increased visibility, which will further streamline spending and reduce friction when handling B2B payments.
Mastercard has pledged to open the gates of digital payments for 50 million SMEs worldwide by 2025, and by collaborating closely with BOP, it will also accelerate Pakistan’s digital transformation, drive financial inclusion, and contribute to the overall economy boost. The global card issuer and payment provider aims to modernise payment methods and make them accessible to all Pakistan’s businesses.
Financial inclusion to further blossom in Pakistan
Historically, the SME sector in Pakistan was largely neglected, while freelancers faced barriers to entry and make their business legal. A study conducted by Oxford Internet Institute in 2017 ranked Pakistan as the 4th in the global digital gig marketplace, while the country generated over USD 500 million from freelancing in 2021. The earnings steadily grew throughout the years, making Pakistan one of the countries that heavily relies on freelancing and economy due to the high unemployment rate for its population under the age of 30. Thus, BOP made it a top priority to extend credit lines to SMEs and integrate this population segment by offering high-quality, low-cost digital payment solutions to access a higher client base and potentially expand abroad.
BOP has also started marketing its Freelancer offering, enabling young professionals from different industries, especially IT, to deposit their foreign earnings into home-based accounts and make the most of their money. The bank has pledged to tackle cashflow challenges that were previously faced by SMEs and deliver seamless payment services for customers who have been underbanked in the past.
